bookcurios Chapter 1647 Eating Xingchen's Leftovers (Bonus Chapter for 265 Million Reward Points)
Chapter 1647 Eating Xingchen's Leftovers (Bonus Chapter for 265 Million Reward Points)
The fact that Chu committed the collision so resolutely clearly shows that she was prepared to die.
Xingchen remained standing there, expressionless.
Chu Shuxian's blood-cursing curse, her resolute suicide by crashing into the wall, and the horrific scene of blood splattering... none of these could stir any ripples in his heart.
Li Changde couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
This is the compassionate heart of a Buddhist disciple!
He waved his hand and said coldly, "Take him away and interrogate him thoroughly. Make sure you get him to talk and find out why he did all this!"
"Yes!"
Several black-clad guards immediately stepped forward and unceremoniously pinned Xingchen's arms behind his back.
Xingchen did not struggle.
Li Changde turned and left the blood-soaked place, heading towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"...Your Majesty, I have been ordered to interrogate Xingchen and arrange for him to confront Lady Chu and Consort Feng."
He took a deep breath and began to narrate in an orderly manner.
Finally, Li Changde said, "...Consort Feng suffered a miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage due to excessive emotional distress, and has already passed away."
"Chu smashed his head against the stone wall, his skull shattered, and he died on the spot."
The emperor felt they had died too easily, and said expressionlessly, "Dispose of them as previously agreed, and make sure everything is clean."
"As for Xingchen..."
Mentioning the lecherous monk who had cheated on him several times, Nangong Xuanyu's tone suddenly turned fierce, filled with murderous intent: "I don't care what method you use, pry his mouth open for me!"
"We also need to find out what else he's planning while hiding in Fatu Temple, wearing this monk's robe, besides these sordid deeds!"
Li Changde felt a chill run down his spine and kowtowed heavily: "This servant will do his utmost to uncover all the hidden secrets and live up to Your Majesty's trust!"
He had just left the Hall of Mental Cultivation when he encountered another group of people.
The visitors were several eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department.
The man in the lead had a respectful expression on his face, but his eyes were filled with lingering sorrow.
Behind him followed a group of eunuchs, who carefully carried vermilion and gold-painted trays, on which rows of green plaques were neatly arranged.
Each plaque bears the names of the various concubines and mistresses of the imperial harem, written in elegant regular script.
"Manager Li."
The head eunuch quickly bowed, revealing a fawning smile, and said with a troubled expression, "You see, the time has come, and we servants have come to ask Your Majesty to choose a concubine."
"His Majesty has not summoned the ladies of the inner palace for a long time, and the concubines and mistresses are very concerned. We servants are truly... sigh..."
Li Changde could easily understand that since His Majesty had not visited the inner palace for a long time, the concubines who longed for His Majesty's favor would definitely put pressure on the Imperial Household Department and try to find out more about him, both openly and secretly.
The Imperial Household Department was caught in the middle, suffering from both sides, and their days were indeed difficult.
Normally, Li Changde might offer a few words of advice or help him smooth things over with His Majesty.
After all, as the Grand Eunuch, it was his duty to advise His Majesty to bestow his favor equally and to ensure the continuation of the imperial line.
But right now...
Bringing this up is like walking into a knife's edge, isn't it?
At this point, Li Changde couldn't dismiss the people from the Imperial Household Department. Otherwise, they wouldn't even have seen His Majesty, and if the ladies of the harem blamed them, wouldn't he have offended a large number of people?
Seeing that Li Changde remained silent, the eunuchs had no choice but to go in, kneel down, and raise the tray high above their heads: "We respectfully request Your Majesty to choose a consort!"
The green plaques were right in front of him, and the emperor looked at the familiar, or not-so-familiar, names on them.
In the past, for emperors, these concubines with different appearances, personalities, and family backgrounds were tools for balancing the court and the harem, and for procreation. They were also a form of entertainment for them when they were busy with government affairs.
But at this moment, looking at all those green plaques, Nangong Xuanyu felt nauseous!
The green plaques of Lady Chu and Lady Feng had long been removed, but their past presence influenced the emperor's perception of the entire harem.
Now, upon seeing these bright green plaques, Nangong Xuanyu's mind was filled with uncontrollable images of Chu Shi and Feng Shi, who had once waited for his favor with tender affection, only to have them engage in illicit sexual relations with that lewd monk before entering the palace, and even conceive a child!
"His Majesty……"
Seeing that the emperor remained silent for a long time, his gaze fixed intently on the tray, the eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department grew increasingly apprehensive.
Nangong Xuanyu waved his hand in disgust: "Take it away!"
"Yes……"
The eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department could only retreat with bitter expressions.
Li Changde followed him in, also looking worried.
His Majesty has already begun to resist the entire harem because of Lady Chu and Lady Feng.
Normally, His Majesty might neglect the harem due to his busy schedule or bad mood. As the chief eunuch, he should, at the appropriate time, offer a few words of tactful advice, reminding His Majesty of the importance of harmony within the harem and the prosperity of offspring.
Even if it's just for show, occasionally visiting Yongshou Palace or other concubines' residences is a necessary measure to stabilize people's hearts.
But now...
Anyone who dares to recklessly advise His Majesty to extend his favors to all women and show concern for the harem is practically sending their head down to the guillotine!
His Majesty looked at the women in the harem with a heart full of suspicion and disgust at being deceived and betrayed.
Even the Imperial Noble Consort, who was usually the emperor's favorite, was not mentioned by Li Changde.
The deathly silence in the Hall of Mental Cultivation lasted for a long time before Nangong Xuanyu said in a sinister tone, "...The Chu family and the Feng family were exposed because they were pregnant."
“Xingchen had been running the Fatu Temple for many years and had frequent dealings with the palace. Under the guise of preaching, he had contact with countless women.”
"Many of the concubines in the harem went to Fatu Temple to pray for blessings and offer incense before entering the palace. Who can guarantee that, apart from those two wicked women, no one else was also bewitched by that lewd monk and committed illicit acts?"
"Perhaps they just haven't revealed their true colors yet, and are hiding them even more deeply!"
This is the real reason why emperors felt nauseous at the sight of those green plaques!
The Chu and Feng families are likely just the tip of the iceberg.
What secrets lie hidden within the seemingly glamorous and beautiful imperial harem?
How many women, outwardly respectful and submissive to him, have already betrayed him behind his back?
Emperors are inherently suspicious, and nowadays their suspicions are even greater.
The thought of the woman he had slept with and who had been defiled by the bald monk made Nangong Xuanyu feel uncomfortable all over, and his stomach churned!
Li Changde was deeply shaken.
Your Majesty has been eating the leftovers of Xingchen, and has begun to suspect the entire harem!
He quickly bowed and said, "Your Majesty's wisdom is profound, and this humble servant is foolish and dull, having not thought of this."
"If Xingchen can deceive Chu and Feng, there's no guarantee she won't target other concubines. This matter concerns the purity of the imperial bloodline and the reputation of the harem; it certainly requires a thorough investigation!"
As he said this, Li Changde quickly calculated in his mind the scope and methods of the thorough investigation.
We can't just arrest and interrogate all the concubines in the harem; that would surely plunge the country into chaos!
However, secretly investigating the whereabouts of all the concubines before they entered the palace was an extremely large undertaking.
Nangong Xuanyu coldly said, "All the concubines who have entered the palace in recent years, especially those who have had contact with Fatu Temple, must have their activities before entering the palace and their family's dealings with Fatu Temple thoroughly verified for me!"